Island Fever
by Always Hopeful
Summary: While on their way to their honeymoon in Bermuda, Joe and Clarisse are marooned on a deserted island. They must face horrible natives, hungry beasts, and the possibility of perhaps never getting off the island. Can they survive? Can their love?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Diaries and I do not plan on owning any of the rights any time soon!**

**A/N: I know that it would not be right to be starting a new story when I already have five other stories in progress, but I just couldn't help myself. I've been thinking about writing Princess Diaries stories. I hope no one will be mad with me. Well, if you don't read Harry Potter fanfics, or if you just don't read _my_ Harry Potter fanfics, then I suppose it does not really matter, does it? But in case you do, then I hope you don't mind that I am starting a whole new coupling, though it does not mean I could ever forget the best coupling of them all, MM/AD! LOL! But, I figure, I could try for a new set of fans, though I shall always love those who made my name well known in the AD/MM love world. Well, here we go before my A/N gets to be much longer than my story.**

**Chapter One: Prologue…**

"But are you _sure_ you'll be alright, Mia?" Clarisse asked as she hugged her grand-daughter once again. They were standing outside in front of the limo which was to whisk ex-Queen Clarisse and her new husband of about forty-eight hours, Joe, to the airport where the private jet would take them to the Bahamas for their week long honeymoon.

"Yes, grandmother, I am absolutely sure that I shall be alright," sighed Mia, releasing her grandmother. "I am now the queen, and I will have to stand on my own two feet sometime, right? Not to mention it is your _honeymoon_. You and Joe deserve to get away from things, even if it _is_ only for a week." Clarisse smiled as she placed her hand on Mia's cheek.

"Very well, dear," she said. "But you must be sure to call me if you should need _anything_ at all. Got it?"

"Yes, Grandma," sighed Mia, rolling her eyes. "But I doubt it. If I need anything, I'll do my absolute best to try and figure it out on my own. I do not want to bother you and Joe."

"What a smart kid she is, Clarisse," smiled Joe as he came to Clarisse's side and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple. "Are you ready, my dear?"

"Yes, I am," she said as he took her hand in his and began to lead her to the back of the limo. "Goodbye, Mia," she called.

"Bye, Mia," called Joe as he waved at her with his free hand.

"Goodbye, and have fun," replied Mia, waving. Joe opened the door for Clarisse, helped her in, and, after one last wave, entered behind his new bride. Mia smiled warmly after them and waited until the limo was out of sight before slowly turning and making her way back into the palace. Her grandmother had followed her heart at last, and was the happiest anyone had seen her in a while. And Joe couldn't have been happier if he had won the lottery. This honeymoon would do them both a world of good.

Ooooooooooo

Clarisse and Joe settled into the limo as they set out for the airport. Joe turned to Clarisse and pulled her into him for a passionate kiss. He was absolutely thrilled she had not pulled back but had, instead, invited him to deepen the kiss. He had been so used to her resistance for the past several years that it was a pleasant change for her to not pull away. At least, she did not pull away until the need for oxygen became absolutely necessary.

"I don't think I could ever get tired of the way you kiss me," he smiled. She laughed.

"Sure, you may say that now," she laughed. "But show knows how you may feel tomorrow?" Now it was his turn to laugh.

"I fear, my dear Clarisse, that you cannot get me to change my mind that easily." Clarisse arched her eyebrows. "Unless, that is what you plan on doing in Bermuda."

"Dash it all, you discovered my true intentions," she smiled, placing the back of her hand on her forehead and sighing dramatically. They chuckled before she sighed and cast her eyes downward. Joe placed his hand underneath her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his.

"What is it, Clarisse?" he asked.

"I'm just worried about Mia," she answered honestly. "I know she's ready to be queen, and yet, I have this nagging feeling that something is going to happen. It a gut feeling of sorts." Joe brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"You must stop worrying, my dear," he said. "She is a very capable young woman and I am sure she shall have no problem whatsoever in conducting herself as such." Clarisse rested her head against his chest.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," she said.

"Of course I am," he said. He looked around the limo. "Hmmm, so this is what it's like in the back of a limo." Clarisse looked back up at him. "What a change from the front driver's seat!" Clarisse laughed… such a melodious sound, in his book.

Ooooooooooo

The plane lifted off of the ground right on time and, according to the pilot, they would have no problems along the way. So, Joe and Clarisse settled back into their seats, arms around each other, ready for anything. How could they know that in just a few short hours, their lives would become increasingly complicated, their love tested, and their faith in each other tried.

**A/N2: Okay, let me know what you think. I promise I shall try to make the next few chapters better. Like I said, I am trying to do my very best. It's kind of shaky going from writing the Harry Potter universe, and even the Labyrinth universe, where there is magic and different characters, to writing Princess Diaries, where there is absolutely NO magic and characters whom, even though I love them to death, are not what I'm used to. LOL! But I will try harder in the next few chapters. Lotsa love. I am now, always have been, and shall forever more be---Always Hopeful.**


	2. Oh Dear

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with Princess Diaries and I don't think I shall own it any time soon. Oh well.**

**A/N: I didn't know which one of my stories I should update, so I chose this one. I do not know if I could keep up with alternating stories. But I promise you that I will continue to update every two weeks. I just don't know if I'll be alternating stories. LOL! Well, I hope that you will continue to read this story, though I can't guarantee that it'll be any good. I hope I continue to do good for you guys.**

**Chapter Two: Oh Dear…**

The first half hour of the plane ride went smoothly enough. Clarisse and Joe were looking forward to a much needed vacation. This honeymoon would be good for the both of them. But it wasn't long before Joe realized that Clarisse wasn't going to relax so easily. He came out of the plane's bathroom and saw her staring out of one of the windows, nervously twisting her napkin and tearing it slightly. He sat down next to her and, taking the napkin out of her hands, entwined his right hand with her left one.

"Nervous, my dear?" he asked, kissing the back of her hand. She looked at him and released a puff of breath she had not realized she had been withholding. She smiled slightly.

"I'm sorry Joseph, but I fear once a queen, always a queen." She sighed and looked out of the window for a few more moments before she looked back at her new husband. "I just cannot shake this horrible feeling of foreboding that I have. What if something were to happen to Mia in our absence? Or perhaps-," Anything else she might have said was cut off when Joe covered her mouth with his own. She smiled against his lips. He pulled back.

"You worry too much, you realize that?" he asked. He brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. She looked down.

"I know that, Joseph," she said. She looked back at him and rested her hand upon his cheek. "I suppose I have been worrying about Mia for so many years now that I've forgotten to worry about myself now and again."

"Well, there shall be plenty of time for that over the next week," replied Joe. "You've spent your entire life catering to the needs of others, it is time you should have _your_ needs catered to." He pulled her onto his lap. At first, she struggled slightly against him. This was not what queens did. But then, she remembered that she was no longer queen and, as far as she could tell, no one in their private jet was paying attention. So, she began to relax. "You are so tense. I would very much like to help you." He smiled somewhat devishly, almost making her feel worried that she had hired him as her head of security. But she smiled in reply anyway.

"As long as you do not place too much strain on that knee of yours," she replied.

"As you wish, my queen," he said.

"Oh, Joseph, I am no longer Queen of Genovia, you do not have to go around calling me your queen. I am your wife, which I am perfectly happy being."

"That may be true, my dear, but you shall always be _my_ queen." He raised her hand and kissed her knuckles. She went to reply when the lights began to flicker and the plane began to bounce. No, not bounce. It began to shake violently. As a result of this violent shaking, jumping and bumping, Clarisse fell off of Joseph's lap and onto the floor. Somewhat frazzled and extremely concerned for his wife's safety, Joe pounced onto the floor to help her up. Unfortunately, he had to bend. He twisted rather violently and cried out in pain as a sharp shock ran through his knee and into his entire leg, leaving his entire right side numb. He was now on the floor.

"Oh, Joe!" cried Clarisse. She crawled on the floor over to him. Sure, it was not very lady-like or what a queen should do, but right now she did not really care. Her first and main concern was her husband, and that was a given. "Joe, what's wrong?"

"Argh, it's my knee!" he exclaimed. "I think I injured it." He grabbed his knee in pain. Just then, the pilot of the plane came over the loud speaker.

"This is your captain speaking. I apologize, but we have hit some turbulence. Please remain in your seats until we have pulled through this storm."

"It's a bit late for that," muttered Clarisse rather angrily. "Come on, Joseph." She tired to pull him up, but the combination of his weight and the turbulence of the plane just made it impossible for her to do so. Eventually, they just conceded to lay upon their stomachs, Joe with his arm over her shoulders, trying desperately to cover her from any falling debris. And thus they remained for several minutes, each one wondering how long this would last. Then, there was an ear splitting CRACK! Clarisse screamed as Joe clutched to her tighter.

"What's going on?" Clarisse cried. Joe couldn't answer. He had no idea what was going on. Then, the worst happened. They felt themselves slanting downward. They felt the plane wobble from side to side.

"Clarisse!" Joe shouted. She looked at him. "You have to get the inflatable raft."

"What?" she asked.

"They inflatable raft. You must get it. I think we are going down! It feels like we lost a wing!" One of the things that Clarisse loved about Joe was his fascination of how things worked. So, as far as she was concerned, if Joe said they had lost a wing, then they had lost a wing.

Oh dear, she thought. They lost a wing? She did not have time to dwell on the possibilities of all that they had lost. She set her mind to doing what her husband had told her to do and began crawling for one of the chairs. She needed to pull herself up and find the raft which would be held in the overhead storage compartment.

She finally managed to pull herself up. Just as she was reaching for the compartment, a jolt sent her flying into the seat. That was when she saw her worst fears. Joe had been right. They _had_ lost a wing. There was rain now beating against the windows. But she soon forgot both the broken wing and the rain when she discovered the third and final thing which frightened her the most. They were heading down, down, down, all the way down… heading for the ocean. She let out an involuntary gasp.

"Clarisse!" cried Joe. This snapped her out of her reverie and she suddenly remembered why she was standing in the first place. The boat. Right. She had to get the boat down before they landed in the ocean, which was coming up to them faster and faster each second. As quickly as she could, she pulled down the boat and crawled herself to her husband.

"Inflate it?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, not yet!" Just then, lightning flashed, hit the plane, and caused a good portion of it to break apart. The suction was too great. Joe and Clarisse were pulled out of the plane, and soon, they were freefalling towards the ocean, their hold on each other lost. Without a moment's hesitation, Clarisse pulled the plug and watched as the inflatable boat began to inflate. It filled rather quickly, but not quickly enough. Before she knew it, she was completely engulfed in water. She was soaked and could not for the life of her figure out which way was up and which way was down. As she tumbled mercilessly through the black depths of the ocean, her thoughts turned to Mia. Poor Mia. She had just received the title of queen, and now she had lost the only person who could truly help her. And then, she thought of Joe.

Poor Joseph. He deserved a much better honeymoon like this. If she thought she could cry under water, she would have. All was lost, and she knew it.

No, it wasn't. She was not going to give up so easily. If a lifetime of being bred and conditioned to do the proper thing had taught her anything, it was to never give up. She was a fighter, and she knew it. With all the strength she could muster, she pushed herself towards the surface. At least, she hoped she was pushing herself towards the surface. She was relieved when she found that she was correct in her assumption. She came up, sputtering and gasping for air. She had never appreciated breathing before, but now she knew that she would never take breathing for granted again.

She looked around. In the distance, she could see their plane crashing into the ocean. But the plane was not what concerned her the most right now. She could care less about the bloody plane.

"Joe! Joe, where are you?" she cried. She knew that her chances of having him hear her were slim, but she had to try. Turning slightly, she caught sight of her boat. She swam towards it, praying with each stroke that she would find her husband and that they would be alright. She finally made it to the boat and she clumsily climbed into it. She looked all around. Debris from the plane lay around her, making it near impossible for her to see him.

"Joe! Please, Joe, answer me!" She couldn't see him, nor could she hear him. She was alone, cold, and frightened. Then…

"Clarisse!" The sound was low. But her heart lifted at the sound of her husband's voice. She turned around. There he was, floating on a piece of driftwood. She leaned over the side of her boat and placed her hand in the water. She paddled as hard as she could until she reached her husband's side. She pulled him into the boat, which was quite a feat to behold. He laid back as she kneeled next to him.

"Oh, Joe," she said. He was clutching his knee. "Oh dear, this is not the honeymoon I wanted." Though he was tired, he offered her a small smile.

"We've… we've got to-to talk to that travel agent." She smiled slightly. Only he would make an attempt at humor at a time like this. The boat teetered as the storm continued.

"What we need to do is find land," she said above the sound of the storm. He nodded. He made to get up, but she shook her head. "I'll do it."

"No, I'm not leaving you to do all the work." Blast his male pride.

"Alright, but be careful, please." Together, they paddled… and paddled… and paddled some more. Then, when all seemed lost, they were felt a jolt. They looked up to see the boat actually hit some land. But it was too dark to see around them. Tired and pained, both Clarisse and Joe, with a new limp, left the boat behind and literally collapsed upon the ground. The sand was surprisingly warm, despite the wind and rain. They made their way until they entered some sort of awning which kept the rain from hitting them. Joe pulled out a small lighter he kept upon his person and sparked it. This was no awning. This was a hallow cave. They looked at each other. This was _so_ not the honeymoon either of them had pictured. What was to happen to them?

**A/N2: Okay, there it is. I hope you all like it, and if you didn't, then I am sorry. I hope that you guys liked it, though. I love you all for reading it. Please review and tell me what you think, but please, no flames. Constructive criticism is always welcome, though. Always Hopeful**


	3. We Need A Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Diaries nor do I think I shall anytime soon.**

**A/N: Okay, sorry it took so long to update. I've been so busy as of late, and I've also been trying to update my other fics, as well. I tell you, I do not know why I insist on having so many stories going on at once. I mean, seriously, I really should try to hone in on just one or two stories at a time. Either that or I should stick to just one shots for a while. Hahaha! I mean, seriously. I have the attention span of a- OOOH! LOOK! SOMETHING SHINY! LOL! I know, I really need a hobby… other than writing. Oh wait, I have like a million hobbies. Never mind. Just don't pay attention to my ramblings. My friends never do.**

**Chapter Three: We Need A Plan…**

Joseph and Clarisse woke the next morning, utterly exhausted from what they had gone through the night before. Their plane crashing in the middle of the ocean had definitely not been on the itinerary. And even though they had found shelter from the cold winds and biting rain during the night, the cave was less than comforting. It was dark, cold, bleak, and uninviting. With its rocks, sand, and wide opening, it was not the sort of place newlyweds would want to stay in on their honeymoon… or ever.

Clarisse stretched as she tried desperately to work out all the tension she now had in her neck, back and shoulders. Joe did the same, though he was still unable to stand due to his knee injury. He grimaced as he sat up and stretched his arms up to the sky.

"Argh!" His back cracked. "I have to say, that was the most uncomfortable nights sleep I've had in years. And that's including the time when you and Rupert received those death threats so long ago and I camped right outside of your room to ensure your safety." Clarisse smiled as she placed a loving hand upon his right cheek.

"I felt so bad for you, but you would not go back to your own rooms until the man was caught. And even then, you made hourly visits to our room to make sure we were alright." She chuckled. "My dear Joseph. What would I do without you?" Joseph smiled.

"I'm sure you would manage," he replied. They stared at each other a few moments before attempting to stretch a few more times. "Let us attempt to get up, shall we?"

"That sounds good to me," Clarisse agreed. They stood up, rather sorely, and attempted to massage their backs as best they could. "Oh, Joseph, I am too old for this." He slid his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his middle.

"You think you're old? Ha! That's a laugh." Suddenly, he grimaced and leaned forward to rub his still injured knee. Clarisse hadn't noticed that he was leaning heavily upon his good leg, attempting to keep off his injured knee. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Oh, I completely forgot about your injured knee," she gasped. "You really should not be standing upon it. Here, sit back down." She attempted to force him to sit back down, but he shook his head, attempting to assure her that he was fine despite his injury. "Joseph, you are most certainly NOT alright."

"I promise I shall rest when I feel it necessary," Joe insisted. She eyed him warily.

"Why do I not believe you?" she asked cautiously.

"Because you know me all too well, my dear Clarisse," he laughed, making a feeble attempt at humor. When he saw that she was not amused, he sighed. "I am sorry, Clarisse, but I am trying to comfort you." He rubbed her arms slowly. It was her turn to sigh.

"I know, but I do not see how anyone can find any humor in this situation." She looked deep into his eyes. "We are stuck here, on this island, without any way to get home. How in the world are we going to survive? Neither one of us has trained for a situation such as this, unless there is something you are not telling me. And if we do not die of hunger or overexposure to the elements, I fear I surely will go mad."

"Shh," whispered Joe, pulling her closely and kissing her forehead. "I know this is all very frightening right now. After all, it is as you said: neither one of us has been trained to do in such a situation as this. And yet, I know that if we use a little common sense and perhaps a little ingenuity we can survive." He lifted her chin so that she was gazing into his eyes. "I will protect you! I always have and I always will, I promise." Clarisse smiled.

"I know," she replied. He leaned down and kissed her warmly upon the lips. When he pulled back, they smiled at one another. "Alright, now what do we do?"

"We need a plan," Joe said simply. Clarisse chuckled slightly.

"I know that, Joseph, but what I meant was what _is_ our plan?" Joe thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, I suppose the first thing we should do is to try and find some food." He winced as his knee sent a shooting pain through his leg.

"No, what we need to do first is find some way of heeling your knee. Or, at the very least, find some sort of a brace for it. Now the only question is what might we use?" She pursed her lips as she looked around the cave.

"Well, we should just find something such as a stick of some kind. But even then, we'd have to find something to tie it to my leg." Clarisse nodded.

"I'll be right back," she said. "Sit down and wait for me."

"Yes ma'am, my queen," he joked, saluting her. She rolled her eyes in a most unbecoming manner and walked outside. It didn't take her long to find a stick and a sorry looking palm branch which seemed to have fallen from its tree, quite possibly from the storm.

"This is the best I can find, Joseph," she said apologetically with a slight shrug. He laughed as she sat next to where he lay.

"Well, the stick looks good enough, but I don't think this branch will be much use," he said, picking it up by the base. "I think it has seen better days, don't you think?" Clarisse sighed.

"Yes, I fear you are right," she agreed. "Well, then what are we to use to tie the stick to your leg? I don't even think this will work, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try." Joe thought for a moment before he sat up and pulled off his own shirt.

"Here," he said, ripping off a piece of it. "You can use this." Clarisse nodded as she did her best to tie the sturdy stick to his leg. It was bad enough that she was no expert in the art of healing, but she could not really concentrate due to the fact that since he had taken his shirt off, she could feel a blush rise upon her cheeks. He was so incredibly good looking, and he obviously made it a point to stay in perfect health, so it was no wonder that she wondered at how handsome he was.

"My dear Clarisse, I do believe I have caught you staring at me," Joe teased. Clarisse looked up at him and blushed even deeper as he winked at her. Though she was embarrassed, she still could not help the small smile spreading upon her face.

"I cannot help it, Joseph," she replied as she continued to accept the strips of his shirt which he had continued to tear from his shirt and wrapping it around his well defined legs and the stick. "My husband seems to be an extremely good looking man." She smiled, though she kept her eyes upon the task at hand. She stopped abruptly when he grabbed her hands, bringing them both to his lips. She watched his movements, mesmerized by what he was doing. He finally dropped one of her hands and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Well do not let your husband know," he teased. "I hear he gets jealous whenever someone looks at you?" She chuckled, but could not answer as he brought his mouth upon hers in a warm kiss. It started out soft and sweet but began to grow in intensity. But before they could go any further, Joe's senses perked up. He pulled back and looked around.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. Clarisse, who was still a little blurry eyed and fuzzy headed, blinked a few times as she attempted to make sense of what he had just said.

"What? Noise? Oh-um- No, what noise?" she asked, attempting to clear her head. Joe didn't answer, but looked towards the mouth of the cave. There was nothing there but sunshine and the sound of the water resting outside.

"Oh, perhaps it was nothing," he frowned, though he didn't seem to relax at all. He could not help it. His nerves were still on edge, and he felt as though he were being threatened by not knowing his surroundings. He sighed as he turned back towards Clarisse and smiled. "I think I should try and walk a little while. I want to get a good feel about my surroundings."

"Joseph," Clarisse said in a warning tone. She looked down at his leg. "Perhaps you should stay here for a while. You could let me go." He smiled, but shook his head.

"I don't want my wife wondering around without an escort. Who knows what is out there?" He attempted to stand up, but she stopped him, pleadingly. Then, when she realized that he would not be swayed as easily as she had hoped, she nodded.

"Then I am going with you," she said. He laughed.

"And they call me stubborn," he joked.

**A/N2: Like I said, sorry it took so long. I hope you liked it. Thanks so much for reading, yo! Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful**


	4. Natives

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!**

**A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for being so patient, not only in me not updating ANY story in two weeks, but also not updating in forever on this story. So sorry that it has taken me forever, but recently a million and one things have attacked me at once. Hope you like it.**

**Chapter Four: Natives…**

It took Joe and Clarisse about two and a half hours to investigate only a few miles of the island. This was greatly due to the fact that Joe's knee was aching terribly and Clarisse spent a great deal of time attempting him to sit and rest. His splint did not help anything, either. So by the time they finally returned to their cave, they were both drained of energy and incredibly exhausted. Joe sat down with incredible difficulty, expressing his discomfort with a series of groans and grimaces.

"This is horrible, Joseph," Clarisse muttered. She sat down next to him and gave a very un-lady-like sigh, followed by a very un-queenly slump of her shoulders. She looked down at her hands, which rested in her lap. "We have been here less than twenty-four hours and already I feel as though we have been here for years." Joe could hear her voice shake slightly and it made his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. He had never seen her look so defeated and it pained him. He rested his left arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips to her temple.

"Ssshh," he whispered against her. He felt her relax, if only slightly, against him. He lifted his head and rested his chin upon her head. He then proceeded to rub her back as she relaxed even further into him. "Do not worry, my love. We won't be here for long, I promise. I will find a way home, somehow."

"How can you be so sure, Joseph?" she asked, not once moving her head. "How can you be so certain we will make it home? Will we be rescued? And even if it were, certain we _would_ be rescued, how do we know we can survive until that time? We have no idea how long we are to remain here, whether that time is a day, a month, or even a year." She had, by this time, raised her head to meet his gaze. "How can you truly promise you will protect me?"

"Do you doubt my abilities to keep you safe?" he asked jokingly. She frowned.

"You know I don't," she said. But we are not dealing with bomb threats or men with guns this time. We are dealing with natural elements. We must face the uncontrollable weather with only this cave for protection. You cannot deny that neither one of us has been properly trained to deal with this kind of situation. My expertise is limited to dealing with heads of state and other high ranking members of society. And as far as you are concerned, you can only protect me from so much." She stopped short when she saw the hurt look upon his face. His smile transformed quickly into a frown and he had the air of a man who had just been insulted. Clarisse instantly regretted what she had said and sped up her explanation before he could comment. "Oh, don't misunderstand me, my dear Joseph. You are, indeed, a great protector. You have proven yourself time and time again. But you cannot stop the rain from falling any more than you can ask the wind to stop blowing or the sun to shine. And what of wild animals?" Joe smiled once again.

"Now, there is one area where my, as you say, 'area of expertise' may come in handy, my dear," he said. After all, I was quite the marksman in my youth." He beamed at her and she laughed… a genuine laugh. "Am I to assume by that charming little laugh of yours that I am also a comedian?" Clarisse placed a gentle hand upon his warm cheek.

"You have amused me, if that is what you mean," she replied. He covered her hand with his and squeezed it, not once loosing his smile.

"Good," he replied. He then became serious once again. "My dear, I love you. Very much. And although my history of protection only involves bomb threats and men with guns, I have always cared for you and kept you as safe as I possibly could. Now that we are married, my desire to keep you safe has increased, if that is at all possible. I may have no power or control over the elements, but I do swear to be here for you and protect you from whatever I am capable of protecting you from. My knee may currently be out of service, but my heart is most certainly not." Clarisse smiled at him with shining eyes. Oh, how she loved this man.

"I love you too, Joseph," she breathed. Without a second thought to their surroundings, she leaned up and kissed him gently upon his lips. Joe responded, also forgetting time and place. Even his injured knee did not weigh upon his mind. He could only feel, and right now he felt nothing but love and adoration for the woman in his arms. Soon, they reluctantly pulled apart again. Clarisse looked him in the eye.

"You are a great man, Joseph. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I shudder at the thought of what I might have been if I had never known you. I _did_ care for Rupert, but I did not love him; at least, not in the way most women love their husbands. I suppose, for an arranged marriage, it was as much a success as any. But with you, I-I am different, somehow. For the first time, I know what it is to truly love and to be genuinely loved by another. And I do love you, Joseph. You know that, right?" Joe smiled.

"I most certainly do," he said. He stared into her eyes, and if Clarisse had been a lesser woman, she would have shrunk from the intensity of his stare. She could barely breathe when he lowered his head to kiss her yet again. Her lips parted, her eyes closed, and their lips were just touching when a hissing sound was heard. Clarisse furrowed her brows and began to open her eyes.

"What-?" She jumped when she felt a stinging pain in her ankle. "OW!" Joe jumped back when he heard her squeal and instantly went on his guard. He looked around and saw the snake. Just before the snake could strike again, Joe reached behind his back, grabbed the first rock he could find, and threw it at the snake. Unfortunately, he missed as the snake ducked and hissed loudly. Clarisse wanted nothing more than to reach her hand down and rub her ankle, but she did not want to coax it into an attack. Tears welled up in her eyes at the stinging, tingling pain as she felt her ankle begin to heat up. Great, she was about to have an allergic reaction with her currently out of service husband sitting helpless right next to her. Could this day get any worse?

The snake pulled back as it made to strike again. Clarisse leaned over and held onto Joseph, hoping something miraculous would happen. The snake hissed and lashed out, coming rapidly toward Joe's injured knee. They braced for the attack which they knew was to come. Joe did his best to cover Clarisse from attack, though it was not much. He closed his eyes as he braced himself for the pain. But nothing happened. He opened one eye and was shocked at what he saw. The snake had suddenly fallen to the ground, motionless. Joe frowned as he tried to discern what was going on. What was this? Clarisse looked around her husband and frowned as she saw what he saw. She quirked a brow as she placed her hand upon his arm, causing him to bring it down.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"I don't know," Joe said, frowning.

"Well I- OUCH!" Clarisse felt a shooting pain run through her ankle as she reached for her ankle. She had tried to move her foot, forgetting that the snake had bitten her. She impulsively reached down and began to rub her foot as tears began to spill from her eyes. She was in serious pain and she did not know what to do. Joe reached down and rubbed her ankle lovingly. She winced when he touched it.

"We have to do something and fast," he said. He looked at the snake. Why had it fallen like that? He took a closer look and saw something sticking out of its neck.

"What are we to do, Joseph?" Clarisse asked, her voice quivering. "My ankle is throbbing with pain, we have no idea how much worse it is going to be, since it is already ballooning up to the size of a grapefruit, and we have no way of stopping it." The tears spilled over as pain and fear gripped her. Joe tried to keep her calm, though panic also latched onto his heart as he attempted to find some way of controlling himself.

"Well we-," Fear paralyzed him as he looked at where the snake lay. A hand reached down and picked it up. It wasn't his and, and it was most certainly not Clarisse's hand. It was much too masculine and much too tanned to be either of theirs. Joe looked up to see something that seemed to come directly out of a movie. Standing before them, holding the snake in hand, was a big, muscular man in a pair of brown, furry pants that surely would not be found in any store in the mall. Well, they would probably not be seen anywhere, Joe was sure. He had long, black hair, which was braided down his back. Even then, his hair easily reached his waist. He was possibly in his mid-fifties, though he aged very well. He seemed very fit and healthy for a man his age, or so Joe could reckon. The man stood to full height, which seemed to be an impressive six foot one at the very least. Although the light was dim this far into the cave, he clearly had bright blue eyes.

"Did… did you do that?" Clarisse asked as she stared at the dead snake in his hands. The man only nodded slowly as he looked from her to her husband and then back again. "Th-thank you." Clarisse felt stupid for saying that, and for sounding so weak when she said it, but that was the only thing she could think to say. The man said nothing as he placed the snake inside his burlap pouch. He never once took his eyes off of Clarisse as he closed the pouch and pushed the pouch to his side once more, where it had been originally. Joe saw something in the man's eyes as they continued to bore into Clarisse's. Joe frowned, not knowing what he was thinking. He spoke up.

"Please, we need to get somewhere where my _wife_ and I are to receive medical attention. Please, we need your help." It had only been when Joe spoke up that the other man looked away from Clarisse, his gaze resting upon Joe. Joe looked at him imploringly. "I beg of you, my wife is severely injured, as am I. My knee was injured last night and my wife was just injured by that snake." The man looked at Clarisse's ankle, which was now the size of a grapefruit. Not once did he say a word. He merely continued to stare from one thing to another. As he continued in his silence, he nodded and made his way towards the entrance of the cave. He looked up to the sun before he raised something up to his lips. It looked to be some sort of whistle or flute. He blew into it and the most beautiful sound emitted from it. It seemed to Joe and Clarisse to be some sort of bird almost.

With his song ended, the man walked back into the cave and slowly, and with great strength, picked Clarisse up. He was so gentle, so steady, and yet that did not stop Joe or Clarisse from being slightly perturbed by his actions.

"I beg your pardon, where are you taking me?" she asked. The man said nothing as he turned and began to leave.

"No, bring her back," Joe commanded, attempting to get up. His make-shift splint was of no help to him. The man stopped and turned around, keeping Clarisse safely in his arms. He looked at Joe as he tried to get up. For the first time since he had entered a few moments ago, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"Do you or do you not wish for my help?" he asked. Joe looked at him curiously before he reluctantly sat back. He nodded.

"I do wish for your help, sir," he said. "You just… scare me, that is all. I thought perhaps you were taking my wife away from me and leaving me here." He hated to admit it, but it had been true. The man stared at him.

"It would be a poor man, indeed, who would steal another man's wife from before that man's very eyes." As he said that, two more men walked up behind him and waited for his orders. He turned to look at them. He said something in a language neither Clarisse nor Joe could not understand and the others nodded before walking over to Joe and helping him to stand.

The small group made their way about half a mile down the beech before they made an unexpected left turn into the trees. They continued this way for some time before they approached an opening. Joe and Clarisse were shocked to discover a small community of houses. There could easily have been a hundred small cottages potted around the clearing. Men, women, and children were also scattered around, a few of whom stopped to stare at the strange newcomers. Children were playing weird games with long, odd looking sticks while the women did things such as converse with one another, and shopped. The men discussed things with each other as well. It seemed odd to Clarisse that the men and women should so easily separate from each other. Then again, she had spent many years as the queen of Genovia. She was used to dealing with many world leaders, most of whom were men. She had to squelch the surge of feminism she was beginning to feel at the thought of women being so easily separated from the men, although she really had no idea of how things really worked in this community.

They stopped when they came to one fine looking hut. One of the men who had come and was now supporting Joe on his right side said something to one of the two guards at the door. The man nodded and entered. A few minutes went by and the guard came out with another man following closely behind. He wore the pelt of a wolf upon his back and he looked somewhat fierce. Clarisse tried, and to no avail, to discern whether this man ever smiled or not. The man looked from Clarisse to Joe.

"Who are you?" he asked. Joe pulled himself up as well as he could.

"I am Joseph Romero and this is my wife, Clarisse. We were just on our way to our honeymoon when our plane met with a hideous storm and crashed. We landed on this island last night and took refuge in a cave not far from here. But please, my wife and I are in desperate need of a physician. Help her first, because she was bitten by a snake and I fear she may need more help than I do. I merely have an injured knee and can deal with it for as long as is necessary." The man listened to the explanation carefully, not once speaking, much as the man now holding Clarisse did. After Joe was finished, he merely nodded to another man, who in turn bowed and left. He looked back at Joe.

"Very well," he said. "My physician shall help the two of you. You may then rest here until we can get word to a loved one what is wrong. We only ask one thing in return."

"And that is?" Joe asked, eager to get Clarisse to a doctor. The man walked up to Joe and stared at him intently.

"When they come to retrieve you, you must go to one of the other islands which encircle our own island. We are a quiet group who do not appreciate intruders. We do not wish for people to discover of our whereabouts. There is no need to transform our humble lives into a tourist's attraction." Joe nodded.

"Agreed," he said. The man smiled as he looked at the newly arrived physician.

"Please escort Mrs. Romero to the woman's hospital and Mr. Romero to the men's." He looked at Joe. "Welcome to La Isle M'Orent."

**A/N2: There we are. Hopefully it is worthy. Sorry, but I did not know for sure what Joe's last name was since I've never read the books and this seemed to be the popular consensus. LOL. Thanks for coming this far with me. Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful**


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